@TatinG One issue is that the insurance companies use BMI to calculate being overweight/obesity and BMI is known to be ok for populations as a whole but not for individuals. I am all for requiring preventable diseases being charged more but the measures should be correct.
Yo. 141-150 is not low. Look around, not just upwards (at those making more.) And buying direct from the insurer would cost the same for the 150k family as the one earning 100k. That’s what posters have been showing, when they write about the impact costs have on them. Their discretionary choices are affected.
How many people lead billion dollar depts?
From an actuarial perspective, that is probably the one of the few ACA requirements that is not costly (BC pills being another). That being said, if “kids” aged off at say age 24, there would be a whole lot more healthies that could go into the ACA pool to lower the average cost.
“This is purely market-driven. The government has to offer better benefits to employees because the wages are very low compared to general industry. Government salaries go a little higher for the lowest-level employee, but for mid- and higher levels of government, the pay is unbelievably low. In our state, a cabinet-level employee makes between $141,00-150,000. How many people do you know who head up an entire department responsible for billions of dollars or thousands amd thousands of employees, and make $150,000 a year? With no stock grants.”
My husband has been working for the state for 26 years. He is a Chief in the Div. of Budget. He is responsible for all the budgets for all public protection agencies in NYS. Billions of dollars. Until, he took this position last spring he was Director of Emergency Communications in Div. of Homeland Security. His last year in that job he earned $128k. Both these positions are “serve st the pleasure of” though he also has a hold on a lessor title if asked to resign because he was in civil service positions before. He is not a union employee and there have been many years since he started with no COLA or step increases and several times pay taken away due to fiscal concerns (like after 2008) He still had to go to work because his jobs were essential. He spent 6 straight weeks in the bunker after Sandy, only coming home for a few hours sleep each night. He works late all the time. He didn’t get home until after 10 last night. Today is a holiday but he went into the office.
He deserves every bit of his retirement pension and his other benefits.
He could have gone to work on Wall Street as his background is finance. But he believes deeply in public service and so he chose that route.
Your state’s/federal govts wouldn’t run without people like my husband. You don’t want to pay them but you sure do want them when you need them.
Most people also don’t want to pay taxes, but they do.
Nobody wants ACA until they are in a hospital after an accident or very sick. They they demand treatment and are SHOCKED, SHOCKED at how much the bill is. Buying insurance after you need it is not how it works.
Smoking is not a cause of our health care costs being so much higher than other countries’ costs. Americans smoke less than other people. Can we please stop saying things that are untrue?
That’s what people want.
And my friends who worked as mid-level govt employees their whole careers, on issues related to public need and crises, “deserved” their packages, as well. And my friends who were lower paid social workers or school admins. Or the folks who are nurses, try to succeed with small businesses, or do back-breaking labor.
Fair just isn’t as fair to some as to others. Seems we’re trying to posit some as more deserving. Funny twist to the usual way we use “entitlement.”
“Most people also don’t want to pay taxes, but they do.”
Then I suggest you tell these people why they need ACA.
Emily I have a similar level position with my State.
I love my job. Compensation for similar level private sector position pay much more. I know because I have family members that have those types of positions.
I am more concerned that most people exaggerate my compensation and really do not care for factual data.
For example I am constantly told I get free healthcare. In fact I pay 35% of the premium.
I am told my pension is free and is it is spiked by taking overtime at the end of my career. The fact is I contribute 3 times the amount as my employer and overtime does not count towards my pension calculation.
Again I love my job and work very hard to provide value to the public
@tom1944, we also pay a portion of our health insurance cost - it is only covered 100% after retirement.
H paid into his pension for 10 years, iirc.
My husband has never gotten overtime as he has always been a Management/Confidential employee.
This entire thread shows why we need supported health care. Every story.
Sure, ACA is flawed. But life isn’t all job security and nice packages. S**t happens. Maybe you don’t get a job with coverage, despite your education. All sorts of challenges that can be beyond one’scontrol. That’s how it really is.
(And among those challenged, I do include some whose finances are stable, who are not dealing with health issues, but still see their own plancosts rising.)
No one is saying we posters need to go door knocking to convince people.
I used to visit CruiseCritic dot com when we were taking cruises every year. Many times I would see posters advising people to “just go buy some trip insurance” for their cruise -in a few days-that is now being threatened by a full blown hurricane.
Yeah, not how it works.
LF, we spent how many years on the original ACA threads - even before it was voted on - trying to convince people on this very board of the importance of ACA and why?
It was a case study on the effects of banging ones head against a wall.
Sometimes you just can’t argue with hardheaded ignorance of economic principles. People don’t want to pay, but still want their rainbows and ponies. Maybe we should just let the doctors and hospitals not provide treatment for people who can’t pay and see what happens.
“I consider health coverage different from paying school tax. We need educated population. Democracy will not work without. Economy will suffer. It is a survival issue imo. It affects everyone of us not just people with school age kids. Sorry to be cruel but sick people doesn’t affect the general population except in crowding ER. Taking care of the sick is humane thing to do but not a survival issue. Now you can roast me on a stick for saying this; the society may even benefit to let them die.”
Not sure if I should even acknowledge these short sighted and self focused remarks by commenting. My guess is @Iglooo favorite books are written by Ayn Rand.
We need a healthy population to make our economy and democracy work just as much as an educated one (that by the way hasn’t been working out too well lately). Sick people can’t show up for work, they add to their employers costs in much greater ways than just insurance costs. Sick people can’t take care of their own children and nurture and raise them nor can they help take care of their elderly relatives. I could go on about costs to our collective society…
Comments quoted above are not only way simplistic but they are black hearted.
Emily no overtime here either
I have contributed to the pension for 37 years.
Wow. I’ve read many, many cruel things on CC before but never have I been blatantly told I’m a worthless leach and should just go die. Good to know how some people feel.
FWIW, I do think I contribute to society. I own a home, pay taxes, give to charity, work, educate students, volunteer, foster dogs, etc.
That was my reaction, too, @romanigypsyeyes.